Is James Cook a Top-Five All Time Bills Running Back?

[Gregg]

Most playoff TD's both rushing and receiving for every team. Thurman is the all-time Bills leader.

 

 

[Pete]

JOE CRIBBS!

 

OJ and Thurman are easy.

 

Cookie and Shady.

 

honorable mention Marshawn, Fred, and if you needed a TD- Riddick.

 

nope Cook has yet to 5 IMO

 

PS- catch the football James!

[WickedGame]

On 6/11/2024 at 8:05 AM, Shaw66 said:

Is there a Bills running back from the past whom, if you could bring him back in his prime, you would start in place of James Cook?

 

I’ve always maintained that the Bills have the best stable of running backs in the history of the league.  No other team can match a top five of Gilchrist, Simpson, Cribbs, Thomas, and McCoy.  Fred Jackson is my number six, and he’d be number three for many other teams.

 

Let’s skip the obvious choices.  Gilchrist was a completely different style of running back, but he ran like and was as good as Derrick Henry.  I don’t care if Cookie can’t run pass patterns, he’d play ahead of Cook.  Simpson is a top-five all-time running back, and Thomas is at least a top-ten guy.  I know, some of you would put them in the other order, but forget that for now.  It goes without saying that either one would start ahead of Cook.

 

I didn’t see a lot of Cribbs, but from what I recall of him, Cook would back him up.

 

I think I’d take McCoy over Cook.  Different styles, but Shady was special. 

 

Finally, Fred Jackson.  I loved Freddie, but I think he’s the only great Bills back who would be a backup to Cook. 

 

What do you think?  Does Cook make the top five?

In half a heartbeat, I got to OJ, Thurman, Fred Jackson, Marshawn, and McCoy as better RBs. And that was without thinking hard. I was too young to see Gilchrist or Cribbs, but they get a leg up, too. So while I like Cook, it’s not even close.

 

Clearly we’re in the doldrums of summer already